Widespread protests in Kerala following arrest of Sabarimala pilgrims at Sannidhanam BJP activists and members of Sabarimala karma samithi are gathering in front of police stations and are staging 'nama japa' protests (chanting of mantras). Police use force to arrest protesters at Sannidhanam https://t.co/b9rc9HQoMy — TOI Kochi (@TOIKochiNews) 1542569535000 Heavy police deployment at Pampa. Bus carrying second group of arrested pilgrims leaves Pampa. Total 80 persons arr… https://t.co/MyZYUDJ8Ld — TOI Kochi (@TOIKochiNews) 1542572085000 SANNIDHANAM: An unusually calm Sunday ended on a tense note when scores of devotees defied prohibitory orders to occupy the Nadapanthal — the enclosure leading to the 18 holy steps to the temple — protesting against the regulations on visiting the hilltop shrine. Police were forced to take over 80 devotees into custody from Sannidhanam amid protests.The post-10.30pm development surprised the police, who swung into action. The protesters wanted the authorities to open up the Nadapanthal so that they could spread their viris—or beds—for the night.Police historically takes scores of devotees into custody from Sannidhanam"Police are not against devotees. But when prohibitory orders are violated there was no way but to arrest them," special officer and Malappuram SP Pratheesh Kumar told reporters.Earlier, the Sannidhanam remained calm with lesser number of devotees—unlike the previous seasons—visiting the Sree Dharmasashtha Temple on Sunday.The Nadapanthal wore a deserted look barely 10 minutes after the nada—or sanctum sanctorum—was opened for evening pujas at 3 pm. The same was the case in the morning.Those devotees, who made to the temple, had a darshan of the deity to their hearts’ content, a rarity during the previous seasons.According to the data provided by the security unit at Nadapanthal, only 45,000 devotees with irumudikkettu—the two-chambered cloth-kit for carrying puja materials—had passed through the scanning devices since Friday, the day on which the nada opened for the annual pilgrim season.Of the 45,000 pilgrims, less than 10,000 visited the temple until 8 pm on Sunday.Though devotees continued to arrive in small groups, the usual serpentine queue was missing.Apart from the Annadana mandapam, where free food is provided, and the Malikappuram temple premises, the Sannidhanam remained deserted. Police personnel on duty, too, had a relaxed day.The devotees were allowed into the Sannidhanam in a controlled mannerEarlier, besides those who had stayed overnight for ‘neyyabhisekham’, very few devotees with Irumudikettu were seen at Sannidhanam until around 7 am, as police allowed entry from Pamba only by early morning. A couple of rush hours later, the crowd thinned.“We had the best darshan. I think it is mostly because of the bad publicity that devotees are deferring the trip,” V Arunagiri, a guruswami, from Vellore, said. He was on his 22nd pilgrimage to the shrine.Another devotee opined that the media should write about the safety at Sannidhanam so that more people would come.“I am going to tell people home that it is safe to travel to ‘mala.’ The policemen are behaving politely. Even after having darshan with irumudi, we were able to see Ayyappa again by going through the VIP queue as there were no VIPs there,” said J Venkat, another devotee from Tamil Nadu , who even managed to find an accommodation at Sannidhanam.Devotees were allowed to spread viris—or beds—only near the Malikapuram temple, as police cordoned off the area in front of Ayyappa temple.“We had a great darshan,” said Selvam from Salem. “But there is hardly any space to spread viris. Earlier, we could have stayed back longer earlier as there was more space. However, we are managing as the number of devotees is much less.”Devaswom sources said the drop in pilgrims’ number would affect the revenue through kanikka (offerings of money) and sale of appam and aravana. Only 82,000 cans of aravana have been sold till now. Donations to annadana funds, too, have dipped.

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